Many congratulations are due for Michael Jung and Faye Füllgraebe. Michael proposed last week and now there’s wedding bells for the happy couple. In a year as crazy as this one has been, we are thrilled for every bit of good news in our sport. Congratulations Michael and Faye!
Don’t forget today is also Giving Tuesday. If you can, share the love with an equestrian charity close to your heart today!
I truly believe that if you can ride a naughty pony, then you can ride anything. They literally wake up every morning and chose violence, and with that narrow frame, all that separates you from the ground is whatever mercy that pony is willing to show you. [A Tribute To My First Grumpy Pony]
The Tokyo Games Organizers have decided that this pandemic won’t push the Olympics back another year. They’re shelling out $960 million on COVID-19 countermeasures in preparation. Much of this will include setting up additional infrastructure, including a testing center. [Tokyo 2020 to spend $960 million on COVID-19 countermeasures as part of additional costs]
International horse sport was busy last month as the final few competitions continued trickling in. FEI looks back on the last 30 days. [Looking back on… November 2020]
Tuesday Video: We meet one of the most important members of Team Fox-Pitt Eventing, the veterinarian.
You’ll hear time and time again from professional event riders that it’s a team effort to get a horse to the top level and keep them their performing their best. When it comes to keeping equine athletes happy and sound, having a trusted veterinarian on your team is essential.
In the latest episode of ‘Meet the Team’ on the Fox-Pitt Eventing YouTube channel, we’re introduced to Dr. Amanda O’Gorman of Gibbs Marsh Equine Veterinary. Amanda’s role as a veterinarian is so much more than just patching up horses and administering vaccines. Enjoy this video where you’ll hear from William and Alice Fox-Pitt, head groom Jackie Potts, and Amanda herself about the different ways the veterinarian fits into the picture.
Weather played her strongest hand this weekend for the second leg of the three-week Portugal Winter Tour at Barroca d’Alva concluded this weekend, but eventers are a resilient bunch used to all the weather challenges that can surface in one weekend. The three-week Portugal Winter Tour kicked off last week and will conclude with its toughest divisions yet this coming weekend. It was Germany’s Andreas Dibowski who took home the win in the highest division, a CCI3*S. He and the 9-year-old Polish gelding Brennus would collect the 3*S win on a finishing score of 34.1, adding a rail in show jumping and a few seconds of time on cross country to their dressage mark.
This marks the first win at this level for Brennus, who has also been campaigned by Andreas’ daughter, Alina, throughout his career. Most recently, Alina and Brennus finished 11th in the Under 25 CCI3*L at the German Eventing Championships at Luhmühlen in October.
Brazil’s Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Joly Jumper secured second place in the CCI3*S on a final score of 40.8. This pair was looking for some redemption this weekend after parting ways on cross country in the CCI4*S during the first leg. Spanish rider Francisco Gaviño Gonzalez and Source de La Faye complete the top three in this division, ending their weekend on a score of 43.3.
Looking to the CCI2*S division, Great Britain’s Ben Hobday and Shadow Seahorse collected the win on a final score of 29.9. This second leg improves on this pair’s fifth-place finish in the same division the previous weekend. Shadow Seahorse is a newcomer to the sport of eventing, having spent the majority of his international career to date in the show jumping ring. Shadow Seahorse is entered in the CCI3*S division for the final week of the Portugal Winter Tour.
Spain’s Albert Hermoso Farras picks up the second and third place finishes in the CCI2*S for the second leg aboard Quilate 32 53 (30.6) and Grytsen Z (31.3), respectively.
The Portugal Winter Tour will conclude this week with the addition of a long-format for the CCI2*, CCI3*, and CCI4* divisions. 27 combinations are currently entered in the CCI4*L, including American rider Anna Loschiavo and Spartacus Q. Another 25 pairs will contest the CCI4*S division. Stay tuned for more from Portugal!
Truthfully, every shopping day this year might as well be a “cyber” day, what with rising coronavirus cases and a general distaste for leaving the house (thanks, 2020). We’ve clued you in for a few holiday deals and small businesses that you can take advantage of, but the great deals aren’t over yet! Most of the sales and specials we’ve promoted are still going on, and here are a few more to add to your shopping hit list.
Ariat: Up to 25% off select boots and shoes, ends on 12/1! Also, don’t forget to enter the Home for the Holidays Sweepstakes to win a prize package valued at $3,500. Today is the last day to enter.
Dreamers & Schemers: 25% off the entire website today only. Perfect for socks, gift ideas, and accessories for every rider. Don’t forget to check out Dreamers & Schemers’ Dream & Do program supporting equestrian nonprofits and access programs here.
25% OFF THE WHOLE WEBSITE TODAY ONLY!!
Pick up some last minute gifts and snag that belt you were on the fence about!!…
Never Knock Goods: 20% off your entire purchase + free socks using code HOLLYJOLLY. There are comfy apparel options and accessories that make perfect gifts to choose from Never Knock Goods.
CYBER MONDAY, FOLKS! TODAY ONLY!
Use offer code: HOLLYJOLLY and you receive 20% off your entire purchase AND one of our favorite, super soft scarves! While supplies last. Snap em up!
We won’t be doing restocks before Christmas so get those orders in!
Other business for your perusal 😉 –
*I am working on TWO NEW DESIGNS which I hope to have done in the next couple of months. Very excited about both, I think you will be too!
*Sponsored rider search is on! Download the application from the website and let me know if you have any questions. This is open to EVERYONE! Any discipline, any level. Everybody!
It’s a bit of an abbreviated Weekend Winners column this week as we saw just one recognized event run over Thanksgiving weekend. As per tradition, Pine Top in Hamilton, Ga. hosted its popular Thanksgiving Horse Trials with divisions from Beginner Novice up through Intermediate. This is one of the final few events of 2020, and our Unofficial Low Score Award this week goes to Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic, who won their Training division on a score of 24.9. Well done!
Open Intermediate: Hannah Hubsch and Bethel Park (37.7)
Open Preliminary: Heidi White and Captain Fernhill (29.6)
Preliminary Rider: Elle Choate and Paddrick (30.2)
Open Training: Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic (24.9)
Preliminary/Training: Jenny Caras and Sommersby (25.4)
Training Rider A: Nicole Kemerling and Modern Man (32.2)
Training Rider B: Lauren Alexander and Excel Star Over The Moon (27.3)
Novice Rider A: Malin Eriksson and WHF Wilhemina (26.6)
Novice Rider B: Darci Phelps and Sandro Street (27.6)
Open Novice A: Emily Brooks and Lord Darby (28.3)
Open Novice B: Laura Orlowski and St. Benedict (28.6)
Training/Novice: Drew Cheek and Dexter (39.3)
Beginner Novice A: Nina Braun and Abraxas (29.2)
Beginner Novice B: Tiffany Stewart and Crimson Clover (28.9)
Open Beginner Novice: Erin Flynn Mobley and In Sync (30.3)
Proud mom post…
Nicholas and Bear made it look easy jumping around their first Intermediate XC at Pine Top today!
Posted by Emily Beshear on Sunday, November 29, 2020
Huge congratulations to Kaylawna and Tyler Cook, who welcomed their first child into the world over the weekend (and a big congratulations to newly-minted grandmother Tamie Smith, too, of course!). We can’t wait to see all three generations out there tearing up the West Coast scene before too long.
One of the biggest topics of conversation over the weekend has been the newly-rehashed debate about the fate of the 2021 European Eventing Championships, originally scheduled to take place at Haras du Pin but ultimately cancelled in favour of the Olympics. Both dressage and showjumping have seen their Europeans reinstated, but eventing is facing a fight for their own competition, led by some chap called Michael Jung, who divulges that Switzerland’s Avenches team is ready and able to host the competition, giving developing riders, horses and nations the opportunity to step up to the world stage. You can add your voice to the conversation using the hashtag #eventingwantseuropeans, and stay tuned for the full story on EN.
National Holiday: It’s both Personal Space Day and Stay Home Because You’re Well Day, which is like, the ultimate panny-D combo. Oh, and it’s also Cyber Monday, so treat yourself to an online splurge with a super small business. Here are some ideas.
Week two of the Portugal Winter Tour wrapped over the weekend, with Germany’s Andreas Dibowski riding Brennan to a win in the top class of the week, the CCI3*-S. You can check out the full results here.
Your Monday Reading List:
Over To You certainly earned legend status in his storied career, in which he became the most capped British event horse of all time. Jeanette Brakewell shares some of her fondest memories of the horse in this piece – it’s available exclusively to H&H Plus members, but you can access it by signing up for a free trial on the site. [Legends of the sport: Over To You — ‘I came home many times thinking that was his best round ever’]
20-year-old Kanane Francis is making impressive moves in the world of racing, while working to shift perspectives on what a jockey ‘should’ look like. The young rider has graduated from the British Racing School and started his first industry job just a year after riding a horse for the first time – and he’s calling for the industry to put in the work to further diversity. [‘It doesn’t matter what colour you are’]
Look, don’t lie, we know you’ve definitely punched yourself in the face while girthing up at least once. In fact, you might have ticked off a fair few of these universal embarrassing moments for equestrians… [Embarrassing Mistakes All Riders Have Made]
We’ve all had that one saddle that’s become a part of who we are. It might have been the first one you owned, the one that you loved a little too hard like a functional Velveteen Rabbit. Or it might be your first custom bit of kit, or the ancient old thing that starts all your breakers out. Either way, they carry more than the weight of their riders – our saddles carry all our memories, too. [Selling a Saddle After 16 Years of Rides and Memories]
Morning Viewing:
Never let anyone tell you you can’t make your dreams come true. Take a little Monday morning inspiration from In Shaallah Saad Hameed’s journey to become Iraq’s first-ever Youth Olympian.
A few weeks ago I watched that movie The Social Dilemma about the horrifying damage social media is inflicting on society and ever since I’ve been fantasizing about just deleting my Facebook, Instagram, all the stuff. And then somebody tips me off to a group like shiteventersunite, which describes itself as such: “For all the crap eventers out there! We want your event reports about how bad your day went! No more ‘event reports’ like ‘Biggles and I would have been selected for the Europeans if we hadn’t have had that pole in the 80,’ ‘an unlucky run out cost us the win’ etc etc. No ‘unlucky poles’ here! Hands up if you need to sack the jockey!✋ … Share your crapness here without judgement.”
This weekend Horse & Hound published a wonderful interview with the creator, Cressida Kitchin-Townshend — you can read it here. The group’s popularity has exploded of late, and she guesses that its honesty really resonates with people. “I think people are relieved,” she says. “When you get back to the yard and people ask how you did, and you say ‘eliminated,’ or when people do event reports, I think there’s real pressure to say ‘my horse stopped at every fence but I still love him’, or ‘we’ll learn from it’; to be positive. There’s so much pressure to be perfect but it’s OK if it goes wrong. I might say I had an unlucky 12 faults but it wasn’t unlucky, it was because I rode like a muppet.”
It’s easy to take ourselves too seriously and lose perspective. Along the same lines, 10/10 recommend the Instagrams jog.it.or.drop.it and, of course, her royal highness dressage_queen_of_memes. Thanks for keeping it real out there, folks. Insanity in the middle 4ever.
Video: As one of three sisters who grew up riding together (statistically speaking, at least one of us fell off at every event), I’m sending up a cheer up for the Duda sisters who did very well for themselves at Twin Rivers at Twin Rivers H.T. a couple weekends ago!
French rider Pierre Texier typically dons his Cambox helmet cam for cross country with Joli Coeur, the 11 year old gelding that Pierre has produced for his whole international career. Now, we have the opportunity to take a spin around the CCI3*S track at Le Pin au Haras, located to the west of Paris and south of the site of the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen. Pierre and Joli Coeur finished this track clear with some time after a positive and efficient ride.
Cambox is running a big Black Friday and holiday sale! Get up to 30% off the purchase of a Cambox camera, suitable with all helmet types. View your rides in 4K with a wide angle 150 degree lens that also features ultra-stabilization technology. Click here to shop.
If you’re all set to get some holiday shopping (or stocking up) done this weekend, it’s a great time to support a small business. There are a multitude of small businesses and entrepreneurs to support within our community, so we wanted to round up a few options for every shopper. This is by no means an inclusive list; we encourage business owners to tag their brand’s social media page in the comments of this post so that we can help promote your business.
Happy Shopping! To visit the Black Friday deals post from yesterday, where most of the deals are still happening all weekend, click here.
Note: This post is not sponsored, and Eventing Nation receives no compensation from this post.
BNJ Tack: This gently used reseller has a great reputation for quality tack, equipment, and apparel for a reasonable price. Until Sunday, November 29, buyers will receive 10% off their purchase.
Le Bonheur/Chatsworth Stud: Shopping for a new breeding match? Take advantage of Le Bonheur and Chatsworth Stud’s Black Friday sale for 50% off of a breeding to Koninklijke Diamant DS.
**Black Friday Special!!**
To celebrate the holidays, anyone who books a breeding to Koninklijke Diamant DS between now…
Hunt Club: This stylish collection of apparel and accessories is very popular, and for good reason. Right now, you can save 25% off regularly-priced merchandise and save an additional 50% off sale items using code BLACKFRIYAY.
Just a Bit She-Shed: This new quality reseller is opening in Georgetown, Kentucky, this weekend! To learn more, visit the event page here.
MareGoods: Witty, bold, and modern are the name of the game for this popular lifestyle brand. Black Friday is happening for the next week; save 20% off sitewide using code BF2020.
Remilee & Co. Designs: For the discerning rider or horse fan, equestrian lifestyle gifts. Keep an eye on the website for Black Friday/Small Business Saturday specials and exclusive gift sets.
Tricolor Tack: Kansas City area riders can shop for a good cause this holiday season with Tricolor Tack’s Donation for a Discount program. To participate and receive 25% off your purchase, you can make a donation to Harvester’s Community Food Network or No Shame: A Period Product Project. Learn more here.
Do you have a horse who’s prone to getting rubs from their halter? Get them our No Rub Halter for Christmas! Our deerskin lining is butter-soft (and comes in fun colors). Click to shop–just $40!
I think I’m probably the most boring Black Friday shopper — I’ve never physically gone shopping the day after Thanksgiving and if I hit up any online sale it’s usually just to lock down a good deal on barn supplies I buy regularly anyway. I really love Small Business Saturday though, and tomorrow you’ll be able to find me masking up and making a trip out to my tack/ feed store, my favorite town coffee shop, and more. Not that I don’t frequent those places enough on the regular, but the more the better as far as I’m concerned!
